It is never too late to start taking inspiration from the primaeval man, the primates, and our so-called ancestors. Well, there is merit in trying to strip down things to their simplest units and experience workout in their most basic form as was prevalent in the not so evolved days of primate living.
The Channel 46 connected with the Business Head of HRX, Pallavi Barman, who shares 6 animal movement exercises for beginners and explains 4 of their benefits.
4 Benefits Of Animal Movement Exercise
Taking off on this note, ever considered animal moves for a ripped core? The beauty of these movements is that:
- They get you sweating like cardio.
- They work on all core muscles at once for helping you stay in the desired position.
- It builds muscle endurance.
- Sharpen mental focus as the technique makes the mind and the body work in tandem
6 Animal Movement Exercises You Should Start With
1. Inchworms Exercise
- Take up the downward dog position.
- Start inching forward while moving the weight from the heels to the toes.
- Get into a plank position and start moving back again while using your palms to fall back in the downward dog position.
2. Bear Crawls Exercise
- Go on all fours like a grizzly bear.
- Lift the knees above the ground.
- Start moving with hands forward followed by feet, while keeping the knees up in the air.
- Mind you the knees do not touch the ground.
- Repeat this forward and backwards and feel the burn.
- For holding yourself in this position and balancing the body the breathing needs to be controlled and consistent.
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3. Ape Jumps Exercise
- This is identical to an ape walk.
- Bend a little over with the palms touching the floor, knees softened.
- Move the palms ahead.
- With the weight resting on the shoulders and palms supporting the body, move the legs ahead together so that the hands are inside and legs on either side of each hand.
- This can also be done sideways as the sideways Ape walks.
4. Push Up To Frog Exercise
- The three form stopovers in the form of a push-up, leading up to a plank hold leading finally to a frog leap.
- Combine these three and move in a flow to make one solid movement.
- Remember the tougher part here is to move back into a plank from the frog squat.
- This is a great number for upping the heart rate and working on strength too.
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5. Vertical Frog Jump Exercise
- Start with a squat position
- Leap up straight, straightening out your torso while tucking in the tummy and falling back in a squat.
- To make it more intense, keep moving forward with each leap traversing distance.
6. Crab Flip Exercise
- Start by sitting on the floor with feet flattened in front of you and palms placed on the ground with fingers pointing outside.
- Lift your buttocks off the ground by a few inches.
- Next, lift your right arm overhead while lifting the butt off the floor as high as possible, resulting in a back arch.
- Lower your body, place the right arm down and lift again, this time with the left hand going overhead and arching the back.
The buck does not stop at these. Once you get attuned to the base-level animal movements, the world of “animal flow” opens. With practice, you can achieve numerous routines varying in rigour, variety, and speed contributing to a very naturally toned body, healthy muscle mass, added advantage of agility and nimbleness and great joint mobility. But of course, all advice comes with a caveat – remember no workout is 100% effective without healthy eating habits and a good sleep routine. A workout in isolation is only 20% work done!
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